Can you imagine what it'd feel like to be strolling through Whole Foods or riding along on the bus and suddenly glance over to find yourself in the presence of one of your favorite celebrities? Unfortunately, the folks you're about to meet can for all the wrong reasons. Here we’ve gathered a hysterical collection of photos and social media posts from people who thought they met celebrities, though they were clearly and sadly mistaken.

Throughout this display of wrong celebrity sightings you’ll meet a few folks whose mistakes were actually understandable, some because of the similarities between the person they thought they were meeting and the actual person themselves, others because of blatant levels of intoxication high enough to convince about anyone that Madonna was actually the Pope. You’ll watch in horror as folks cling hopes such as an overly ambitious belief in the power of on-screen make-up or photo shopping to explain away the glaringly obvious differences between the celebrity they wish they were standing next to and the random person they actually are.

So gear up and get ready to see some of the funniest fan fails of all time as you feast your eyes on these hilarious celebrity false alarms.